East St. Louis, Illinois
East St. Louis, Illinois | |
|---|---|
East St. Louis and the Gateway Geyser | |
Location of East St. Louis in St. Clair County, Illinois | |
| Coordinates: 38°37′30″N 90°09′27″W / 38.62500°N 90.15750°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | St. Clair |
| Township | East St. Louis (coterminous) |
| Founded | June 6, 1820 |
| Incorporated | February 16, 1865 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Charles Powell III |
| Area | |
• Total | 14.30 sq mi (37.03 km2) |
| • Land | 13.92 sq mi (36.05 km2) |
| • Water | 0.38 sq mi (0.98 km2) |
| Elevation | 423 ft (129 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 18,469 |
• Estimate (2023) | 17,642 |
| • Density | 1,326.89/sq mi (512.33/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 62201–62207 |
| Area code | 618 |
| FIPS code | 17-163-22268 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2394607 |
| Website | cesl.us |
East St. Louis, also known as ESTL, is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It is directly across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis, Missouri, and the Gateway Arch National Park. East St. Louis is in the Metro East region of Southern Illinois. Once a bustling industrial center, like many cities in the Rust Belt, East St. Louis was severely affected by the loss of jobs due to globalization and the movement of American manufacturing to overseas markets. In 1950, East St. Louis was the fourth-largest city in Illinois when its population peaked at 82,366. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,469, less than one-quarter of the 1950 census and a decline of almost one-third since 2010.
A recent addition to the city's waterfront is the Gateway Geyser. On the grounds of Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, the fountain is the second-tallest in the world. Designed to complement the Gateway Arch across the river in St. Louis, it shoots water to a height of 630 feet (190 m), the same height as the arch.